How All Educators Can Benefit from CTE Teachers

/in /by

All educators can benefit from CTE teachers in a very powerful way. In my school district the Health Sciences, Human Services, and Dr. Beyonka Wider214 Family and Consumer Sciences teachers continue to work closely with academic teachers on academic integration by collaborating on senior projects and student completer portfolios. While the CTE teachers incorporate academic standards into their curriculum, academic teachers integrate more technical application skills. CTE Teachers also serve on the academic teams at their schools and/or feeder high schools in the case of career centers.

The students at the career center complete what we call the ‘completer’s portfolio,’ which is an integral part of a student’s final year of high school. It integrates knowledge, skills and concepts from the student’s CTE program of study into one culminating project. The completer’s portfolio is a compilation of student work requiring teamwork between the student, career and technical education (CTE) teacher and academic teacher. The student is responsible for the content and both teachers are responsible for guiding, encouraging, reviewing and supporting the development of the portfolio. The portfolio is refined during the year the student becomes a ‘complete’ and is presented for scoring. The portfolio may be submitted as an electronic document or as a hard copy and consists of the following sections:

  • Section I: Employability

Completer’s Goals Essay

Competency List

Work-based Learning Experiences

  • Section II: Credentials

Resume

Three Letters of Reference

Transcript

Licenses/Certifications

Awards and Recognition

  • Section III: Work Samples

At least 2 (two) work samples that include written narratives and visual evidence (blueprint, pictures, drawing or actual sample). These samples must demonstrate knowledge of high-level technical skills.

Additional work samples from Level 1 or Level 2 courses

  • Section IV: Reflection

Reflection Essay

Exit Interview

The completer’s portfolio is an excellent way for all educators to benefit from CTE teachers.

By Beyonka Wider a 2016 Region II Fellow